Microsoft is currently fighting a federal search warrant demanding that the company release emails stored in Ireland. Here’s why you should be extremely concerned by a U.S. court’s actions — and what you can do about it.

You might be wondering right now why millions of people in the world light candles and give gifts in December. John Green, novelist and historian, brings you up to speed concerning 27 ways we celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa.

It’s every PC user’s nightmare: Someone starts controlling your PC from afar without your permission. Here’s how to prevent that type of attack. Plus: Why using an HTTPS connection is like putting on sneakers to outrun a bear, and free, do-it-yourself virtual private networking.

If you’ve been connected to the Web for any length of time and set up one or more email accounts, you’ve undoubtedly received unsolicited mail — aka spam. Here’s how spam seems to magically appear on every new email account — and how email users might unwittingly be contributing to the problem.

Looking for a last-minute gift for your favorite Windows geek? Consider the new Microsoft Band; here’s a tour. A cross between a smart watch and a wearable fitness tracker, the Band packs in considerable technology.

After downloading Firefox 34.0.0, Lounge member ldb wondered whether the browser’s search engine might be broken. Posting in the Third-Party Browsers forum, he described the differences between his new and old versions of Firefox.

In case holiday gift shopping isn’t scary enough for you, this week’s video records the reactions of innocent passersby to a crabby, suddenly animate, ornament. Scaring holiday shoppers and happy children is no way to spread Christmas cheer, but the snowman does get his comeuppance well before spring.

Windows 8’s cloud storage of personalized system settings can lead to unexpected changes. Here’s how to control what’s saved and what’s restored. Plus: Curing ‘disc not recognized’ errors on CD/DVD drives, why VeraCrypt won’t work with Win8, and salvaging an XP system after a disastrous error.

When a company makes seemingly outrageous claims about its new product, it’s a dare just begging to be tested. So we took on a Wi-Fi extender touting a 10,000-square-foot signal range, an ultra-fast and light wireless scanner, and a portable hard drive boasting “the ultimate in data security.” For a bit of fun, we also looked at the new Amazon Fire TV Stick.

We close 2014 with 85 official Microsoft security bulletins; keeping Windows updated wasn’t always easy. It was a year of numerous botched updates, including the now infamous patch that drove us to Windows 8.1 Update.

With the tide of yule rapidly approaching, I’ve been repeatedly asked about the relative merits of cheap Windows laptops, tablets — and Chromebooks. Choosing among the three platforms isn’t easy; depending on your needs, any one of them might be right.

Lounge member dc696969 needs a PDF creator, and he has some requirements and preferences concerning how it works and the range of files it works on. He brought his list of wishes to the Other Applications forum.

For many Windows Secrets readers, the holidays mean travel. Here are tips for protecting your data when connected to shared networks in hotels, restaurants, airports, and other public places. Plus: The free Detekt tool is an anti-spyware scanner for people in extreme circumstances.

If you want to share sensitive information — credit-card numbers, romantic messages, plans for world domination — email is only slightly more secure than a megaphone. Here are some tips for locking up email messages so that only the intended recipients can read them.

To celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, Windows Secrets’ editor in chief is on the road, visiting family. This age of Internet everywhere and mobile computing makes remote publishing relatively easy — especially with a bit of preparation.

Picking the right anti-malware app can be onerous; there are dozens to choose from, and rapidly evolving exploits are constantly putting them to the test. Fortunately, a few independent organizations such as AV-Comparatives are also testing leading security packages and posting the results.

The causes of anti-malware failure range from minor system errors to raging, full-blown infections. Here’s how to safely sort things out. Plus: Security concerns about bypassing Windows’ UAC, a reliable DVD drive suddenly dies, and a free DOS-emulator helps you run very old apps and games.

A touch version of Office is scheduled for release around the time when we’ll see a production Windows 10, but recent releases of Office for iPad strongly suggest that Microsoft no longer considers Windows the “first” platform.

What to look for if you can’t get Win10 Technical Preview to run in a VirtualBox virtual machine. Plus: Is Registry cleaning safe? Also, the pros and cons of VeraCrypt, a possible replacement for the now-discontinued TrueCrypt disk-encryption tool.

Cloud services such as Dropbox and Google Drive provide both safe data storage and the convenience of synching files across platforms. But are they suitable for reliable, automated backups of PCs and other devices? Are they on par with backup-centric services such as Carbonite and Mozy?

It’s never good news when Microsoft issues updates outside the regular Patch Watch cycle. This week, several patches appeared unexpectedly. Most are for servers, but standalone PCs might see at least one of these irregular patches.

Windows’ User Account Control (UAC) helps keep us safe from unwanted system changes — but it can also get in the way of routine operations. With the right tools and techniques, you can fine-tune UAC so that commonly used programs don’t trigger UAC prompts.

Lounge member ggmcbreen, a graphics designer, relies heavily on graphics properties of certain tools such as thumbnails, which suddenly were not showing up in her folders. Instead, she saw mainly blank icons.

Sleep mode trouble (along with related hibernate and hybrid sleep problems) can be hard to cure. Here’s help. Plus: Solving upgrade problems with two different Win8 systems, and how to use an ordinary PC touchpad for handwriting input.

Hotmail’s replacement, Outlook.com, has slowly improved since its release in mid-2012. Microsoft’s webmail viewer now provides a good selection of filtering tools for organizing your mail and protecting yourself from spam and other potentially dangerous mail.

It seems that Microsoft is honoring Thanksgiving with a platter full of security and nonsecurity fixings for both Windows and Office. As with big holiday meals, this batch of updates should not be digested in one sitting. Focus on security updates, for now.

Most Internet users should know by now that personal digital security is in large part our own choice and responsibility. But in truth, our electronic security is also in the hands of the companies we do business with — and they’re not all taking that fact seriously.

The tributes are piling up — on the radio, the Internet, and every other place that’s heard of Car Talk and Tom Magliozzi. The elder of Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers, passed away this week. But we still have his brother Ray and decades of archived (we mean “old”) Car Talk.

Win8’s always-on, automatic backup system — File History — can consume huge amounts of disk space; but it’s easy to control, once you know the tricks. Plus: How to disable the constant background operation of Chrome, and a new, free app that combines 68 different anti-malware engines into one scanner.

Microsoft pushed the envelope a bit too far with Windows 8, and one of the features most users never understood was the Share charm. With Windows 10, the company might be backpedaling on some Win8 features, but it appears that the maligned Share will become more functional for traditional Windows users.

Searching for a particular folder or file on a PC can be a real pain — especially when you run up against Windows’ built-in search limitations. If you’re looking for more comprehensive search capabilities, two third-party apps can help.

No, this isn’t about Fluffy gone rogue. To keep our online browsing safe, we rely heavily security protocols — the “S” in HTTPS. But a new exploit — POODLE — shows that commonly used security protocols aren’t as secure as we thought; websites and browsers will both need an upgrade.

Lounge member saleve volunteers for an NGO that has a really old computer system running XP and Access 2003. He has Access 2010 and wonders how to adapt the database he’d created for the organization so it works with Access 2003.

Virtual PCs are a complex blend of real and simulated hardware; problems can often be fixed with a step-by-step, refresh-and-simplify approach. Plus: What to do when Win7 won’t install the useful “Clean up system files” update, and a fix for a near-fatal Win8 Registry problem.

Microsoft has released an update to its Windows 10 Technical Preview; build 9860 includes a few new goodies. It’s been only three weeks since Microsoft released the original build 9841, but the quantity of improvements in that short time is extraordinary.

Tired of being deluged with advertisements for chainsaws wherever you go on the Web, just because you searched for one on Home Depot’s site? Or ads for shoes, dishware, pet food, or whatever? You can’t totally eliminate Web tracking, but you can reduce it.

As with any product that’s still in development, running Windows 10 Technical Preview has risks. The safest and easiest way to install and work with the preview of the next Windows is within a virtual machine — here’s how.

Lounge member rstew has been busy upgrading his system — so successfully, he’s developed the ambition to do likewise on another machine. He wants to replace his Vista 32-bit operating system with Windows 7 64-bit OS on a Gateway rig.

Some standard apps can be made portable — they don’t require installation to run and can be conveniently carried around on a flash drive. Plus: A reader seeks a safe, malware-free utility for downloading videos from YouTube, and Google’s new 64-bit Chrome is faster and more stable than the 32-bit version.

Morning brew in hand, you sit at your PC, press the power button … and nothing happens — no familiar Windows startup screen, not even a BSoD. Computers can fail to boot for various reasons; before you panic, try these troubleshooting tips and procedures.

PC security in October is already more trick than treat. Three zero-day exploits came to light — one apparently in use for years. As the so-called “SandWorm” threat shows, Windows vulnerabilities can be used to steal both personal information and state secrets.

Given the complaints about Windows 8, the next version of Microsoft’s OS has to be more than good — it must be superb. We’re still a long way from shipping Windows 10, but based on the recently released Technical Preview, it appears Microsoft is firmly back on track.

Following a recent story on EMET 5, some Windows Secrets readers ran into trouble trying Microsoft’s anti-zero-day security application. Their reported problems with EMET might be due to software incompatibilities. Here’s an update.

You can include almost any folder you wish — even hidden/system folders — in Win8’s automatic File History backups. Plus: How to keep Windows from dropping its network connections, and diagnosing/bypassing DEP-related browser problems and more.

Some of the best utilities for maintaining PCs and enhancing productivity are found in the nooks and crannies of Microsoft’s expansive websites. But there’s also a long list of valuable instructional videos, tips, and other information for all PC users. Here’s a sampling.

At a much-anticipated event held in San Francisco, Microsoft vice president Terry Myerson unveiled the official Technical Preview of the next Windows. The presentation packed several surprises, not least of which is the new operating system’s name: Windows 10.

A Linux/Unix-based vulnerability, Shellshock, has an impact that reaches far beyond one operating system. As with Heartbleed, Windows users can’t ignore this threat. But the most difficult aspect of this outbreak is determining which devices are actually vulnerable.

Our love of digital devices has a cost: vampire energy consumption — the electricity used when a device is not in use. Here are ways to measure how much AC power our gadgets soak up and how to put them on a power diet.

Want to learn a new foreign language? A new programming language? Our continuing education has gone online. From online videos and real-time translations to mobile apps, technology is helping us learn new things in many new ways.

Microsoft recently updated its Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit, a free application that can protect you from dangerous zero-day attacks. Here’s a review of what EMET does — and why and when Windows users should run it on business and personal systems.

It can make sense to use a smartphone-tethering app to provide Internet access for your PC, even if your phone has a hotspot app built in. Here’s why. Plus: Accessing the hidden AppData folders, anti-malware tool chokes on old software, and a reader questions whether Kingsoft office suite is safe to use.

Our kids have virtually unlimited access to information and entertainment with the tap of a screen or the click of a mouse. And that’s not a good thing; here’s a tool that lets parents take some control of what kids see and do on the Web.

It appears that we’ll squeak through September with relatively few Microsoft update problems — a relief after the August debacles. Not so for many Apple iOS users; iOS 8 is out, and it’s always an adventure when Apple updates an OS.

When Lounge member Treiber posted his question about moving photos from his phone to his PC, he wrote in French. Happily, he received an answer in his own language, plus a short guide to translation tools on the Internet.

Win8 complicates the system sign-in procedure with seven different options, some of which cause needless aggravation. But there’s a solution that’s easy to implement and use. Plus: Tools to find and eliminate duplicate photos, music, documents, and other files; also, an outstanding, world-class source for free troubleshooting tools and tips.

Sometimes “new” doesn’t necessarily mean better — at least not for customers upgrading to the newest technology. Installing an updated Comcast router at the company’s request brought some unpleasant surprises. Here’s a lesson for us all.

The HTC One for Windows smartphone is a sleek slab of aluminum with an operating system that’s quick and easy to use. Plus: Western Digital’s My Cloud for portable devices and TYLT’s dual-connector charging/synching cable.

Using a feature built into Windows, all your Wi-Fi-based devices can access the Web through a single Internet connection — no additional hardware or software required. This capability isn’t new; Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) has been around for years. But it’s somewhat hidden on some Win8 systems. Here’s how to find it, enable it, and use it.

Many Windows Secrets readers are moving to Win8 and encountering frustrations along the way. Here are easy fixes for some vexing problems. Plus: Anti-malware for Kindles and other Android tablets; Microsoft Security Essentials finishes last in another test; free product-key finders for Windows and other software.

Using the same Web browser on multiple devices can easily result in a mishmash of shortcuts, add-ins, settings, and even passwords. Using built-in synching tools can help keep your browsers consistent across those devices — at least within the same brand of browser. Here’s how.

In the U.S., September is the traditional back-to-school time of year. It might be time for Microsoft to go back to school to learn how to handle updates. Numerous September patches are fixes for August updates. Fortunately, the load of security patches is light.

Microsoft recently published an open letter to President Obama, condemning some government surveillance techniques and calling for federal data-privacy legislation. While some industry heavyweights such as Amazon, Twitter, and Google would probably prefer fewer privacy rules, Microsoft weighs in on the side of consumers.

Lounge member OS2_87_Dinosaur thinks her clever, computer-building son doesn’t know enough about operating systems and other software. She gave him advice (as parents are wont to do) concerning his system’s Windows pagefile — and then she worried that her old-school view might be wrong.

Although transportation via two feet or two wheels is strongly preferred, Mutant Vehicles are permitted in Black Rock City — the famous desert city that arises and decamps for the annual, week-long Burning Man celebration. But they must be licensed by the Black Rock Department of Mutant Vehicles.

Even the best backup plan can be undone by unexpected hardware failures, resulting in lost data or a sizable drive-recovery bill. Here are lessons learned when an important file went missing — and the backup drive suddenly failed.

Can commercial, third-party maintenance software outperform Windows’ built-in, free tools? This is the conclusion of a two-part series that will help you determine which PC maintenance tools — free or paid — yield the best results on your specific system.

In this episode of an ancient tale we might call (and like to believe is true), “Primates are masters of the universe,” a gibbon drives two young tigers from his forest kingdom. When two tiger brothers appear not to recognize gibbon territory, one bold monkey takes them on, using tactics worthy of Shakespearean clown comedy or the Three Stooges.

A command window is typically a bleak place to work in — but you can adjust its size, position, color, font, and more. Plus: A Win8 upgrade apparently kills a CD/DVD drive, and the free DoNotLink service helps prevents skewed search results.

On Amazon, the world’s largest bookseller, sales of digital books outnumber those of hardbound and paperback copies. Most digital books are tied to restrictive digital rights management rules. But you can find DRM-free books if you look in the right places.

Perhaps there’s a connection between the warm, sunny days in the Northwest and a slew of problematic August patches sent out by Microsoft. Several security and nonsecurity updates were recalled, as was the August update for Windows 8.1 Update. Are these delayed fixes putting us at risk?

With 1.1 million (and counting) consumer comments to ponder and an alliance of tech companies nipping at its heels, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission enters round two of the fight for net neutrality. The end of the 120-day public-comment period ends Sept. 15 — at which time the real fight over access to the Internet begins.

Among the most irksome challenges for successful photographers is protecting their copyrighted work. In a recent case, a photographer’s apparent rival for his copyright happens to be an enterprising — and extremely photogenic — crested black macaque living on an Indonesian island.

Data Execution Prevention is an important Windows security subsystem; here’s how it works and how to fix it when it misbehaves. Plus: How to use Windows’ three different timestamps to help locate lost files.

With low-power convertible laptops priced lower than many tablets, deciding between the two platforms can be a challenge. HP not only offers many new low-priced laptops but lets you choose between Windows and Google Chrome OS. Also reviewed: An elegant alternative to cloud storage and Bluetooth speakers that deliver more than sound.

For most of us, our PCs eventually resemble our attics — crammed with stuff we’re sure we’ll want to use again — someday. If your Windows desktop is a sea of applications and file icons — some needed and others, not so much — two apps can help you get your desktop organized.

Can commercial software maintain your PC better than Windows’ built-in and free tools? This article is the first in a series that will help you determine which tools — free or paid — yield the best results on your specific PC.

We seldom get an opportunity to bring you comedy about the publishing industry — some people would say that’s only right because the publishing industry is seldom funny. Still, recognizing that humor can come from astonishing places, we’re pleased to bring you a video from HBO comic John Oliver, who explains the increasingly difficult relationship of advertising and the news.

Simple, proactive steps and tests can help ensure that repair/recovery disks work as they should — when you really need them. Plus: Using hard-drive “short-stroking,” File History’s excessive use of disk space, and a virus-scan crashing problem.

Your summer vacation would be a fading memory if not for the dozens or hundreds of digital photos you and your fellow travelers snapped. Posting a few images online for all to see is easy; with the right tools, organizing dozens of photos into cloud-based digital photo albums isn’t that much harder.

August’s Patch Tuesday is notable more for the updates we didn’t get than for those we did. It was rumored that this Patch Tuesday would see the release of another big update for Windows 8.1 — the so-called Update 2. It never happened.

Back in Windows’ younger and simpler days, its coders hid small programs and features — called Easter eggs — in the OS for others to find. Microsoft eventually banned those unofficial applets, but there are still some relatively hidden features in Win7/8 that users find helpful. Here are my favorites.

One way or another, you can almost always get older software — even ancient Windows 3.0–era apps — to run on the newest 32- and 64-bit systems. Plus: Saved Web favorites suddenly vanish, a USB flash drive becomes permanently formatted as a CD, and a free way to view and control your PC from a phone or tablet.

Note-taking applications are extremely valuable tools for saving and recalling random bits of information. Two of the best are Evernote and OneNote; both are powerful, flexible applications with some significant differences.

The Wave 2 update for the relatively new 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard promises even faster and more efficient networks. Here’s what to expect — and why you might want to wait a bit before purchasing that new 802.11ac router.

What are the risks when Android security apps ask for intrusive permissions — such as full camera access? Plus: Unknown Windows software spawns error messages, how to avoid repair-disk failures, and where to find good (free!) tools for partitioning and backups.

For decades, all devices connected to the Internet have had an IPv4 network address. But the IPv4 address space is nearly tapped out. To provide more headroom for new devices, we’re all transitioning — in fits and starts — to IPv6. Here why that’s important.

Applying July’s Patch Tuesday security updates proved a bit rough for some IE and Vista/Win7 Tablet PC users. In some cases, the solution was to remove the update; in others, it meant installing a patch for the patch.

With nearly infinite and virtually free cloud storage available, and with archrivals Google and Apple offering big ecosystems of apps and media, Microsoft seems to have the short end of the stick. Will Windows be able to compete in this brave new world? Or has it already been relegated to the technological bench — by consumers and, increasingly, companies?

Lounge member Bender serves as administrator of a neighborhood watch group. Among other tasks, he manages their communication system. He’s dismayed by the reduction of group services in Microsoft OneDrive, which he previously used to broadcast messages and alerts to his neighbors.

When a Windows system — XP, Vista, Win7, or Win8 — becomes sluggish, a built-in tool could help point you to the culprit. Plus: Questions about the safety of password managers, undoing damage from a bad Registry edit, and a reader-recommended screenshot program.

For personal applications, the common spreadsheet is often used as a simple database — a quick and simple tool for storing bits of information. But the real power of spreadsheets is in manipulating numbers. Here’s a sampling of useful and interesting logical and simple math functions.

Depending on the version, there are several ways to gain access to Windows when you’ve lost your password. Vista and Windows 7 offer a little-known password-reset option; Windows 8 relies primarily on your Microsoft account credentials.

There are hundreds of free and paid security apps for Android phones and tablets. But many of those offerings are of uncertain quality. Here’s a sampling of some of the best software for keeping Android devices free of malware, managing passwords, locking up your data, and more.

Win8 lets you place custom recovery images in locations that won’t allow for proper restoration. Here are the right locations and methods. Plus: UEFI-related Windows updates on non-UEFI PCs, more questions about Macecraft’s jv16 PowerTools, and fixing a flash drive stuck in read-only mode.

July’s security updates target vulnerabilities in Windows Journal, DirectShow, On-Screen Keyboard and other supporting components. But the bulk of July updates, once again, consists of nonsecurity fixes for all current versions of Office and their associated applications.

Regular readers know that Windows Secrets discusses the importance of PC and Internet security almost every week. But it seems many Windows users never get the message. Here are tips for safe computing in the year 2014. Pass them along.

Animator Marty Cooper’s alter ego, Hombre McSteez, is responsible for legions of creatures who dance in refrigerators, eat the mail, vomit up cats, and perform other antics for your entertainment on YouTube (and other Internet venues).

Incorrect Software Restriction settings in Windows’ Group Policy can keep you from running your own software. But there’s an easy fix. Plus: Curing a browser History malfunction in Firefox, Secunia’s Personal Software Inspector flagged as malware, and Microsoft’s free “Mouse without Borders.”

Microsoft’s third-generation tablet is rolling out with more configurations, a larger screen, and other worthy enhancements. The old adage about “third time’s the charm” with Microsoft products would seem to apply to its just-released Surface Pro 3.

Browser developers might squabble over whose product is the most popular or most secure, but these days any browser we use is our most-used application. Staying secure on the Net requires not only keeping browsers up to date but also regular housecleaning of caches, plugins, and some troublesome apps.

Microsoft and Google are locked in battle over free-for-personal-use productivity applications. Each is fighting for your attention. At this time, there’s no one best online suite; both are quite capable and both have some important limitations.

Hackers can mine data from your PC’s pagefile and temp files, but you can guard against this threat by deleting these files — automatically. Plus: Avoiding “Fast Boot” troubles, a script runs amok in Firefox, and a reader explains why he thinks Microsoft could have produced a secure version of XP.

Whether you’re building the next new website visited by millions or simply posting the latest snapshots on Facebook, image quality matters. But shrinking multi-megapixel images to fit a screen can be problematic. Here are some tips that will help with the resizing process.

The ‘Softies who labor mightily over Windows and Office fixes must be out at the local pubs watching the World Cup soccer matches in Brazil. I’m not sure whether that’s good or bad, but it does gives us an opportunity to quickly catch up on past updates — and then get out and enjoy a bit of summer.

It seems as if everyone who kept sensitive files secure did it with TrueCrypt. Edward Snowden depended on it. So did I. But now that the popular disk-encryption app is effectively dead — at least for the foreseeable future — it’s time to look for a replacement.

When Jason Jones of the Daily Show reviewed Google Glass recently, he interviewed six Glass Explorers (the official term for Google Glass early adopters). It would be fairer to say he mocked them to their Glass-bedecked faces, from start of the segment to the end of it.

TrueCrypt has been discontinued — at least for now — but that unhappy news simplifies the choice of whole-disk versus file-and-folder encryption. Plus: An old partition question arises anew, Internet Explorer opens only blank pages, and using permanent markers to aid warranty claims.

Windows 8 got off to a rough start, mostly because of Microsoft’s misguided attempt to move all Windows users to touch-and-swipe. Fortunately, new devices help us live comfortably in both old and new Windows. Plus: new products that keep your data safe and your mobile devices running.

An article on Windows patching included the startling headline that Microsoft is restricting security patches for IE 11 on Windows 7. What particularly caught my eye was the report that Win7 users would not be receiving the June Internet Explorer patch in Windows Update.

The developers of TrueCrypt, a once highly respected, open-source encryption application, have apparently folded their tents and disappeared. Left behind are questions and paranoia — and a message that users should migrate to other encryption platforms.

Lounge member Protopia recently analyzed the difficulties he’d experienced with DNS lookup errors as he browsed the Web. And then he set out his findings and solutions in an admirably clear step-by-step procedure in the General Windows forum.

From time to time, we revisit Henri, the feline philosopher, to hear what’s been annoying him lately. He’s no fonder of the White Imbecile than he’s ever been, but this spring Henri finds his housemate’s catnip-fiend existence tragic.

BIOS-level passwords can be defeated by resetting the BIOS, but a second level of security can still keep your files safe. Plus: Using encrypted data with 7-Zip, KVM switch weirdness, and curing a “User profile cannot be loaded” failure.

Windows 8’s Task Manager offers more power, features, and functions than any of its predecessors. Possibly more impressive: common tasks such as finding and terminating malfunctioning applications are easier than ever.

June’s security updates are officially the last for Win8.1. Many of the following updates have separate patches for those who have not moved to Win8.1 Update. Plus: There’s a new variant of the infamous CryptoLocker: CryptoWall exploits Microsoft’s Silverlight.

After moving to Central America with five computers, new Lounge member sheila_c needed help getting connected to the Internet again. She wanted tutoring in wireless technology, never having used it before.

Someone went to a lot of trouble to build a handsome little wooden box — with no utility whatsoever. Which isn’t to say it doesn’t do anything. It has mechanical innards that enable it to beep, sing, mutter, turn itself about, raise its lid, turn itself off — repeatedly — and, finally, raise a white flag. Why, why, why? you might ask.

Some LangaList Plus readers took exception to Wi-Fi advice given in a recent column. I reply. Plus: Modifying Internet Explorer’s toolbars, dual-booting Windows 7 and 8, and handling mandatory sign-ins to public hotspots.

Microsoft Word has a tool or option for formatting almost any type of document you could want or need. But the original purpose of Word was to process words — and it has tools to make that task easier, too.

May updates proved mercifully uneventful, though one update caused some headlines for Hyper-V deployments. .NET Framework and Office updates were generally well behaved. Unfortunately, the now-notorious Windows 8.1 Update (KB 2919355) is still causing problems, and there seems to be no end in sight.

These days, it’s possible to have XP, Windows 7, and Windows 8 all running in the same household or small business. And though Windows 7 and 8 have similar tools for sharing files over a network, there are differences that might leave you puzzled.

Lounge member jsachs177 knows exactly what he hopes to find in an image-editing program. So he made a list of his wishes and posted it in the Graphics/Multimedia forum. Happily, fellow Loungers provided helpful — and well-reasoned — recommendations.

It seems the only limit to new competitive events is the human imagination. The surreal sport of precision walking begins this week’s Wacky video. But why stop to contemplate just highly stylized walking when there’s room in a video camera’s memory card for coordinated demonstrations of cheerleading and martial arts?

Errant folder synchronization can lead to some weird and ghostly effects on networked PCs. Here are some cures. Plus: Imaging a disk while Windows is active, the number of CDs a Windows repair disc requires, and automated price-tracking tools for Amazon and other shopping sites.

It’s common wisdom that Windows offers numerous ways to complete the same task. One underutilized resource is the Run command and its associated Command window. Here are some of the better Windows-management shortcuts you can run.

It might be argued that images have become more important than text for the online information we consume. Whether posting the latest puppy photos on Facebook or creating the next blockbuster website, image quality matters. Here’s a quick tutorial on image formats for the Web.

Fundamental changes in PCs, including UEFI and Secure Boot, can interfere with classic security techniques such as whole-disk encryption. But a simple, free, two-step process provides extremely reliable data and system-boot security for all Windows versions, on virtually all PC hardware.

When Lounge member oldn advised his wife to sort her Hotmail messages into folders to make them easier to find, she did. But after she made her messages easier to see, she couldn’t move them on her own laptop.

On any given day in New York City, looking up gives you plenty to see. When aerialist Seanna Sharpe climbed the Williamsburg Bridge, anchored her silk swing from upper beams, and performed her routine, onlookers paid particular attention.

In the first installment of this two-part series, I discussed what to consider when it comes time to replace your old PC. For Part 2, I review what to do now that you have a new machine — the initial steps for getting the system ready for work.

May updates highlight the ongoing vulnerabilities in XP and the continuing push to move Windows 8.1 users to Win8.1 Update. I’m changing the rules on .NET updates. Windows 8 and Office 2013 users will see another heavy batch of updates; concentrate on the security updates and leave most of the nonsecurity fixes for later.

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has proposed a new set of rules that will change — some say kill — net neutrality. With regulations coming soon, Congress hunkered down; and with a brawl breaking out on a dozen different fronts, here’s what you need to know about the FCC’s proposal and how it will affect you.

When Lounge member compiler sought help in the Security & Scams forum concerning recent Security update KB 2964358, he wasn’t the only person failing to understand conditions and prerequisites for the download.

Why did the crow roll down the conveniently located slope (provided by a snow-covered parked car)? Before you start thinking about “why the chicken crossed the road” jokes to account for the actions of a crow, you might ponder any encounters you’ve had with these intelligent birds.

It’s extremely frustrating when your Wi-Fi connection suffers periodic slowdowns and dropouts. The causes might be mysterious, but a little sleuthing with some free tools can usually get things working properly.

All good things eventually come to an end. Take that aging PC, for instance: it’s getting as wheezy, slow, and cantankerous as an old mule. Like it or not, it’s time for a new system. But what kind? With so many styles and configurations to choose from, picking the right PC can be a challenge.

Microsoft has finally started selling the new Office 365 Personal plan, and there’s nothing wrong with it. But when you start comparing the productivity options currently available, Office 365 Home is a significantly better deal.

Hang around in Windows forums or newsgroups long enough, and you’ll see a question asked again and again — something along the lines of: “My computer is so much slower than it used to be. How can I fix it?” You’ll also see many of the same answers repeated over and over. Unfortunately, many of those answers are wrong.

More than a few Windows XP users are willing to pay Microsoft for more updates to the now effectively obsolete OS. In theory, doing so could produce billions in revenue for Microsoft. Here’s why it’s not going to happen.

If Windows 8 were a kid, it might feel picked on ever since first setting foot on the playground. But based on discussion begun by Lounge member Prescott in the Windows 8 forum, you might gather that the playground is growing a little friendlier (Windows 8 runs fast, people admit), however grudgingly. Others allow that Windows 8 has grown more attractive in other respects, too.

If you plan to remember an event by living through it, jumping out of an airplane isn’t something you do on impulse. In the fall of 2012, 100 experienced skydivers from 21 countries briefly floated in formation over Perris, California — and by doing so, they set a 100-way, wingsuit world record.

Innovation rarely comes as an entirely new product category. Most often, it puts a new and interesting spin on something that already exists. That evolutionary form of innovation applies nicely to these four products. Each adds to our computing experience in useful and unexpected ways.

No matter what device we’re using, we read and create email within a browser or a separate email client. These days, most people handle their personal mail by using a browser, but there are good reasons to use an email client.

A newly revealed Internet Explorer flaw received an extraordinary amount of news coverage. The vulnerability was widely reported, mostly because the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Computer Emergency Readiness Team had issued an alert.

How to solve the obtuse “The parameter is incorrect (0x80070057)” error when building a rescue/repair disk or backing up a PC. Plus: Benchmarks you can run in a retail store to help choose a new PC; third-party support for XP apps; and free XP migration tools and assistance.

When Microsoft released Windows 8.1 Update, it threw some of us a curve ball. To continue receiving security patches, Win8.1 users must install Win8.1 Update by May 13. Here’s how to add this unusual patch. Plus: updates for Internet Explorer, MS Security Essentials for XP, and those leftover nonsecurity fixes from April’s Patch Tuesday.

Part 1 of this two-part series told how to create a Windows repair disk that boots a failing PC and provides tools that might fix what’s ailing Windows. Part 2 tells how to use a repair disk on all PCs — including those locked down with Win8’s Secure Boot — and also gives some advanced tips and tricks.

Lounge member donny wants to talk to his wife. He wants to talk to his wife while he’s downstairs and she’s upstairs. He wants instant messaging to work between two computers in the same house, using the same router.

A good many people in the northern hemisphere are happy about cherry trees, tulips, daffodils, magnolias, fritillarias — you name it — in bloom. Lengthening April days and more sun switch on giddy moods for northerners.

How practical is it to upgrade XP-era hardware with more modern components capable of running Windows 7 or 8? Plus: Preserving an XP setup as an .iso file, self-destructing cookies for Firefox and IE, and running Android as a native Windows app — no virtual PC required!

Over 150 million is not a market size that anyone can ignore — not even Microsoft. That’s the number of iPads in use, many of them at work. Bowing to the obvious, Microsoft released Office for iPad on March 27 via the Apple App Store. It’s a good start, but there are, of course, some serious limitations.

On a daily basis, we are bombarded with confusing error messages that can lead to making bad decisions about our online security. Whether from Java, our browsers, EMET, or some other source, here’s what you should know about the warnings.

When your PC won’t boot from its hard drive, you might be dead in the water — unless you’ve created a bootable emergency repair disk or drive. Repair disks don’t simply get PCs started; they also include tools that might fix what’s wrong with the system. And creating a repair disk takes just minutes.

Writing on behalf of two colleagues, Lounge member klxdrt asked members in the General Productivity forum for some advice: How to send and receive email without using a personal computer? “Don’t laugh,” he said — because his coworkers were serious.

Perhaps you haven’t seen an honest movie trailer lately — or ever. We recommend this one, for “Gravity.” If you haven’t seen the movie already and rigorously avoid spoilers, we’re sorry — you’re about to see four wry minutes of unpreserved secrets.

When a PC won’t restart, suspend, sleep, or hibernate properly, how to find and fix what’s wrong. Plus: Understanding the system-folder name changes between Win XP and Win7/8, and using an Android .iso to boot and run your entire PC.

Is Windows sending regular nag notifications that you’re running out of hard-drive space? Or perhaps you’re trying to squeeze onto that new SSD? Spring cleaning for your PC mostly means looking through the contents of your hard drive and getting rid of the accumulated garbage.

The soon-to-be-released Windows 8.1 Update brings minor improvements that favor those using a mouse — in other words, most Win8 users. Anyone currently on Windows 8.1 will want the update; those who still haven’t made the Modern plunge won’t be impressed.

This week, Microsoft is hosting thousands of software developers at its Build 2014 conference in San Francisco. At the keynote discussion, of more immediate interest is the official announcement of Windows 8.1 Update.

Veteran Lounge member KenWA keeps tight security on his well-equipped Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit system. Nevertheless, he found himself with a seemingly impossible problem: one recent morning, he couldn’t load any of his browsers.

When running XP in a virtual PC, the host system is safe — but the XP VPC isn’t. Here’s why. Plus: How secure is “secure enough”?, Android Gmail app truncates long emails, and a new cloud-storage price war that’s great news for consumers.

Can a small, lightweight tablet/laptop running Windows 8.1 work as a full-productivity computer — and still have all the charms of a tablet? After 30 days of using one as my only PC, the answer is a qualified “yes.” There are, as one would expect, compromises.

One of the enhancements Microsoft gave Windows 8.1 is Bing Smart Search, which includes broad and innovative search capabilities. But you might not want every search to include the PC, the Web, OneDrive, apps, and even the Windows Store. Here’s how to take control of Win8.1/Bing searches.

Netflix and Comcast now have an agreement allowing Netflix to link directly to Comcast’s servers. Similar agreements are in the works, involving Verizon and many other ISPs. Proponents of net neutrality believe all should have equal access to the Net, but the debate isn’t nearly as cut-and-dried as you think.

Lounge member Not Brightest Bulb wondered about the motives of his new ISP, Frontier, when it sent an email advising him to upgrade his email security settings. He hates scare messages. What kind of outfit is Frontier, anyway?

The Australian Bat Clinic and Wildlife Trauma Centre in southeast Queensland, Australia, stays busy most of the year rescuing orphaned and injured bats. Most people hope never to encounter the spooky creatures, but Trish Wimberley, who looks after hundreds of baby bats year after year, can carry armloads of them at feeding time.

Desktop computer sales continue to plummet as tablets, smart phones, and ultra-thin laptops become ubiquitous in the home and office, and on the road. But moving to smaller devices means losing the convenient components and ports we take for granted on standard PCs. Here’s how to get some of that convenience back.

Redmond must be focused on its April 2 Build 2014 developers’ conference and the release of Windows 8.1.1 — there are no new updates this week. Use this reprieve from patching to follow up on some lingering update problems and a new Word zero-day threat.

Last month, cable TV giant Comcast announced it had agreed to buy Time Warner Cable for U.S. $45 billion, merging the largest and second-largest cable companies in the U.S. While the raging debate over the advisability of the merger focuses primarily on TV, ultimately the far larger question will be our future access to the Internet.

Many dog people suspect that their canine companions indulge in forbidden impulses when left unsupervised. Sometimes those suspicions are based on bits of evidence — such as misplaced pillows and wrinkled bed covers — people find when they return home from work. This dog’s human must have surmised that something was going on behind her back. She set up a monitoring camera trained on the bed the dog was not supposed to occupy.

How to find and use, when needed, the hidden administrator account built into all versions of Windows. Plus: Solving VirtualBox networking problems, more on what Win8 backups can and can’t do, and shopping for low-cost external drives.

Can a lightweight, inexpensive Windows 8.1 convertible serve as your main productivity computer? That was the premise in a 30-day experiment to have one light device that replaced both a traditional laptop and an iPad tablet.

There are many good reasons to set up virtual machines on a Windows PC, including testing new configurations and saving old ones. Win8 Pro and Enterprise come with Microsoft’s Hyper-V application; here’s a detailed tour of how it works.

Little-known fact: By using a virtual PC, you can set up and run a free, fully legitimate copy of Google’s Android on a standard Windows system. This gives you a way to safely experiment with the Android operating system — or to re-create the layout of an Android device you already have.

Forum member davy had exited Skype and turned his PC off, but his friends still “saw” him online — according to Skype. Davy wondered why and asked for help from fellow Loungers in the Social Media forum.

Based on the evidence turned into a video by cabdriver/comedian James Failla, most people violently and profanely hate snakes. The day the cabbie took his friendly reptile to work, various passengers leapt out rather than complete their rides in company with the driver’s curious but calm companion.

It’s easy to tell File History exactly what to include — or exclude — in its automatic actions. Plus: “Dynamic” versus “basic” hard disks, renaming many files at once in Win8, and preserving XP when no setup disk is available.

If you’ve got a Windows PC and an Android phone or tablet, using a cable to sync data between the two platforms is clumsy at best — and sometimes disastrous. But with the right software, you can use a local network or the Internet to copy, move, and sync files across the great OS divide.

With official Microsoft support for XP ending soon, it’s important to get the final patches. Plus: Purchasing extended XP support, the usual round of IE and Flash updates, and another big batch of nonsecurity fixes for Win8 and Office.

Long gone are the days when PC security mostly meant installing anti-virus software and keeping it updated. Today, the digital assault on our money and privacy is expanding and changing at a truly mind-boggling pace.

When Lounge member DavidToronto aired his reservations about password managers in the Security & Scam forum, he launched a discussion about security that went well beyond how one uses a particular tool.

Hikers, bikers, drivers, and train passengers can test their luck and courage on bridges all over the world. Would you willingly cross platforms that seem to float miraculously high over chasms, or tread on old rope-and-wood constructions swaying over rocks and rushing rivers?

How to ensure that Windows 8’s File History doesn’t get confused if you use more than one external drive. Plus: Curing Photo Gallery file-access problems, restoring access to a password-locked router, and mitigating XP end-of-support security concerns.

Office.com is now the gateway to all Office Online apps: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more On Feb. 20, Microsoft launched a new look and new tools for its free online suite of productivity apps. Here’s a quick tour.

Backing up your PC on a regular basis is the only sure-fire way to protect both your system software and your data. There are many backup options; here’s why separating system backup from data backup can make your computing life a bit easier.

Microsoft in general and the Windows group in particular have gone through enormous changes within the past year. All the key Windows 8 players are out. Most of us can only speculate on the reasons for the massive turnover, but one point remains clear: under new management, Windows is in for changes.

Imagine Lounge member Cmptrgy’s frustration: A friend turned her computer over to phone scammers less than a week after he’d restored her troubled system to a good-as-new state. She wasted $200 and four hours, all because strangers told her they were from Microsoft Technical Support. She was “warned” that she had 30,120 infections — which they could fix.

If you caught any of the speed-skating events at Sochi, you know that the sport is extremely unpredictable and has a high potential for serious injury. But you probably never imagined these races enhanced with Pac-Man sorts of obstacles.

In Windows 8.1, Microsoft dropped Win8.0’s “Windows 7 File Recovery” tool and replaced it with new options. Plus: Pros and cons of flash drives as a backup medium, a replacement for the XP version of Norton Ghost, and a cloud backup-service recommendation.

Cloud storage has become so popular, it’s now common for personal computer users to have multiple online-storage accounts. But like managing multiple email accounts, keeping track of your Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, and other accounts can be difficult. Here are three services that can help.

Attacks on a veterans’ website expose an Adobe Flash/Internet Explorer zero-day exploit, prompting out-of-cycle fixes from both software companies. Meanwhile, a much-publicized security flaw in Apple’s iPads and iPhones points out risks of using public wireless networks.

In Part 1 of this two-part series, I gave an overview of the five major types of backup technologies available today for Windows PCs. This week, Part 2 shows the enormous speed differences in backup methods; it also includes some real-life scenarios to help you pick the best method for your needs.

When was the last time you jumped into wet and muddy happiness and made a big splash? And then did it again? And again? Maybe this young elk will remind you of an uncontainable minute or so in your own life.

For XP users searching for ways to preserve their setups after XP’s impending “end of life,” using a virtual PC is an almost effortless solution. Plus: More on resolving file-sharing errors, avoiding problems with paths in command lines, and easy ways to save webpages as PDFs.

The browser many — if not most — Windows users love to hate might just be getting … less hate-able? Internet Explorer for Windows 7 promises a faster and more secure browsing experience. We’ve heard that before, but this time it might be true.

Over the past few years, backup technology has improved so much that you’re virtually guaranteed you’ll never lose important files or other data. But with so many good options available, it can be difficult to settle on the backup method — or methods — exactly right for you.

After we published Woody Leonhard’s Feb. 6 Top Story, “A last reprieve for the enduring Windows XP?” we soon had more than the usual number of letters; most of them were from readers asking for help delaying the end of the useful life of XP on their computers. This week, we share four of the more interesting reader reactions to the imminent — or not — end of life of Microsoft’s famous old operating system plus two reader remarks about the latest iTunes update.

Titus has been throwing basketballs into baskets practically since he learned to walk. Now at age two, he’s a basketball phenom — at least on the Internet. His father and mother (Joseph and Kristin Ashby) make good-humored videos of his exploits, his older siblings cheer him on, and celebrities lose trick-shot challenges — really! — to this hugely talented young athlete.

Windows annoyingly drops connections to mapped drives after 15 minutes of inactivity. Here’s how to adjust the timeouts to keep your connections alive. Plus: New hacks may expose browser-stored passwords, more on jv16 PowerTools, and an excellent way to tame Chrome’s excessive background activity.

It’s well documented that sitting too long in front of a PC can be hazardous to your health. Fortunately, new products can help relieve wrist and back pain; plus, three books that can help Windows 8 users get the most out of their OS.

February 11 was “Safer Internet Day,” a world-wide event organized to promote “more responsible use of online technology …” I’d rather have a safe Internet year, which always includes keeping Internet Explorer up to date — along with adding other critical security fixes.

By now, every Windows XP user and his third cousin should know that on April 8, the clock runs out on the venerable OS. But recent developments might give XP users a bit of a reprieve. When and how Microsoft will blink are the open questions.

Seattle has a reputation for cool orderliness, an almost unshakeable politeness in public (except for a few infamous instances of trouble such as the WTO riots in 1999 and the IWW General Strike of 1919). The more usual Seattle demeanor is known widely as Seattle Nice, which bumps hard against the city’s famously visible (and audible) enthusiasm for its football team when team and fans are inside a stadium together.

The emulated hardware and simplified drivers that run in a virtual PC (VPC) can help you determine where a host PC’s troubles might lie. Plus: OEM recovery discs and nondestructive reinstalls, two ways to open an admin-level command window, and another way to recover files from an infected drive.

Once upon a time, your biggest threat from the Internet was the occasional cyber criminal or an overdose of cat videos. Today, someone or something watches virtually every step we take on the Web. Here’s how to make the Web a bit more private.

Given recent revelations about the NSA’s spying on U.S. citizens, what once seemed truly paranoid now appears to be entirely plausible. Protecting our privacy on the Internet is no longer a matter we can leave to chance — or ignore. The cost is simply too high.

Solid-state drives can give a significant boost to system performance, but at the cost of storage space. Here’s how to sort out the data on a big spinning-platter drive and fit what you can onto a smaller SSD.

It wasn’t that Lounge member Miv was recklessly doing without an anti-malware program, when his machine was infected by a virus. Rather, his antivirus software failed to detect and remove the interloper.

Sometimes, Windows updates and hotfixes can fail or install improperly. Here’s how to remove and reinstall problematic patches. Plus: More on SSD maintenance, driver-update questions, and some advice on moving programs to a new system.

Your Microsoft account is the gateway to the company’s many online services such as email and online storage. Recently, Microsoft rolled out a few enhancements to help make monitoring and protecting MS accounts easier. Here’s what you should know.

With much of the U.S. focusing on cold and snow, at least Windows updates from Microsoft aren’t adding to the pain. But what Microsoft gives, Apple takes away — the latest iTunes for Windows is having some serious installation issues.

The Target breach points out some facts of life on the Web: We’re all targets (pun intended) of cyber thieves. Fortunately, there are steps we can take to protect ourselves. Here’s how to protect yourself from the next big breach.

As a Lounge member was wrapping up the upgrade of his wife’s PC from Windows Vista to Windows 8, his wife wondered whether he could restore her pre-upgrade voice-over-Internet-protocol (VoIP) apps. She wanted to keep the small credit associated with the service. He doubted he could pick out the apps from the Macrium backup image he’d made but prudently brought the question to the Other Applications forum.

The Chrome browser can keep a hard drive in almost constant use. Here’s how to take back control. Plus: Rescuing files from an infected drive, security concerns with the Open Source jv16 PowerTools, and more on recovering unallocated hard-drive space.

The heavy news coverage at this year’s Consumer Electronics show seemed fixated on massive displays and wearable gadgets. But cruising the miles of show floor revealed some interesting and inexpensive products we can use now — or soon.

In the first installment of this two-part series on remote-access, I covered the (no longer) free version of LogMeIn. In this article, I discuss two additional services — TeamViewer and Google Chrome Remote Desktop — that let you operate a host PC remotely with another PC, a tablet, or your smart phone.

As with all devices, regular maintenance will keep your Windows PC operating smoothly through the years. Here are the essential tasks that can help PC users — of all levels — maintain strong, secure, and stable systems.

KeePass Password Safe might be the best solution for an open-source, free password manager, but that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. Luckily, as with many open-source apps, a slew of add-on tools makes KeePass more powerful and customizable than most competing products.

Good news! We’re sliding into the new year with relatively few security updates — and a possible fix for the Windows XP Svchost issue. There is one oddity this month: a rarely seen reissue of a troublesome Windows kernel update.

Subscribers to the paid version of Windows Secrets are familiar with Fred Langa’s weekly LangaList Plus. This week, everyone can enjoy the best of the 2013 columns. These Q & A sessions are for computer users of all levels. Many paid Windows Secrets readers save these articles for future troubleshooting reference.

The adage about beauty being in the eye — or ear — of the beholder certainly applies to musical instruments as fully as it might to any other object. As it happens, the oddity featured in this video belongs to a category of invention both cherished and reviled since the 19th century, when a lot of them appeared.

You know you need a password manager. But did you know that one of the top managers is a free, open-source application? Here’s why I think KeePass is the best solution for protecting your passwords — and for safely accessing the Web.

Sooner or later, people who work outside the office discover that some critical document or bit of data was left back on the desktop. Cloud storage can help solve that problem, but remote-access apps/services connect mobile devices directly to a remote PC.

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